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“You look alotbetter tonight,” Ginger greeted me as I shut the door of the SUV just outside of the clubhouse. The place was surrounded by salvage yard metal fencing and an iron gate—that was open. I swear the woman must’ve been waiting for me, because the moment I pulled up, she was there, opening my door for me. “Just try to keep your head down for the most part.”
“Vinny schooled me—I don’t think he realized how unprepared I was for this.” I smoothed my shorts out, seeing my long tan legs sticking out. I had opted for black high-heeled booties, and I wasn’t totally sure that the outfit went together...
But Ginger apparently thought so.
“I would talk to some of the younger guys, if I were you—but not Tippy. Let him be. He’s not happy right now, and I don’t know that he really wants you here, to be honest. He doesn’t always like the older associates, like Vinny.”
Opposite advice of Vinny. Great.
“And the VP?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant as my stomach fluttered.
“You mean Viper,” Ginger raised her brow at me. “He might talk to you; I don’t know. His dad was a close friend of Vinny, and Bear is very close to Vinny—that’s Viper’s uncle. I’m his aunt.”
“Oh,” I couldn’t hide the surprise, but the more I thought about it...
Bear has the same green eyes.
“Anyway, Viper is a good guy—very solid, but my boy is tight-lipped, and if you’re thinking on another level...” Ginger’s voice trailed off, studying my face as we reached the porch of the log-sided clubhouse building. “He’s the definition of emotionally unavailable. He ain’t gonna give you what you want. You’re a good girl, and while I think my Viper is a prince, he’s a heartbreaker.”
I nodded, taking note—not that I needed to. He sounded like the stereotypical guy to me. “I’ll keep that all in mind, but I don’t have any interest.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Ginger asked as we climbed the front porch steps.
“Uh...” my voice trailed off, not surewhatAlex and I were. At one point, we had dated seriously for a couple of years, but after breaking up about a year ago, we were just...
Something.
He didn’t want to label it—or talk to me consistently.
“I swear, your generation is the most confusing I’ve ever seen. You kids don’t know what the hell you want from each other. I guess when you find the right one, that’ll sort itself out, maybe. I don’t know.”
“I hope so,” I admitted just as we stepped into the party.
Anddamn, was it a party.
There were topless women with pasties, glitzing around the place and jumping from lap to lap, while the men drank and socialized—and having free rein to touchsaid women.
This isnotmy kind of thing.
Ginger sauntered right past me, heading for Bear, who was sitting at the edge of the bar away from most of the ruckus. I stood there in the doorway, the men barely recognizing my presence and the women, other than Ginger, looking at me like I needed to go take a hike.
Deep breaths.
I took another step inside, not surewhoto talk to first...
And then I saw him.
Viper was sitting a couple seats down from Bear, peeling the label off his beer bottle. He didn’t look approachable, but hehadbeen the one who offered to keep an eye on me the whole night, right?
Seems like a safe choice.
I slipped past the other partygoers, including Ginger and Bear, who appeared to be in deep conversation. “Hey.” I tapped Viper on the shoulder.
He turned, his eyebrow shooting up as he did a once over of me. “You actually showed up.”
“Uh, yeah. I might lose my job if I don’t. Can I sit here?” I gestured to the stool beside him.
Viper held my gaze for a moment, my lower abdomen tightening as he pulled out the stool, never leaving my eyes. “Have a seat.”
